Semi-ripe or half-ripe cuttings including how to take a heel cutting.
What are semi-ripe cuttings?
Semi-ripe cuttings are also often referred to as half-ripe, semi-hardwood or green wood cuttings.
As with softwood cuttings, semi-ripe cuttings are taken from the plant's first season of growth, but the difference between the two types of cutting is in the hardness of the stem.
Semi-ripe cuttings are taken later on in the growth season when the base of the cutting has turned hard or woody yet the top half of the stem and the tip are still soft.
As with softwood cuttings, semi-ripe cuttings are taken from the plant's first season of growth, but the difference between the two types of cutting is in the hardness of the stem.
Semi-ripe cuttings are taken later on in the growth season when the base of the cutting has turned hard or woody yet the top half of the stem and the tip are still soft.
Which plants are propagated from semi-ripe cuttings?
A wide range of plants and shrubs are suited to propagation from semi-ripe cuttings including many climbers such as ivy and passion flower; a large number of evergreen shrubs in particular, like Artemisia, Camellia and Erica; as well as some groundcover plants, hedging plants, and trees such as evergreen conifers and holly.
When to take semi-ripe cuttings
Semi-ripe cuttings are generally taken between the months of July and August or from midsummer to early autumn, when growth has started to slow down and the stem of the plant is turning woody but not yet hard. The tip of the plant should still be soft.
Things to remember before taking the cutting
Remember that gardeners should always use tools, including secateurs and knives that are clean and sharp. Do not use dirty tools as this can cause any infection to spread.
Although semi-ripe cuttings are more mature and less flexible than softwood cuttings, and therefore are less likely to wilt soon after cutting, they should still be collected in a closed polythene bag, shaded from the direct sunlight at all times and worked with as quickly as possible.
Although semi-ripe cuttings are more mature and less flexible than softwood cuttings, and therefore are less likely to wilt soon after cutting, they should still be collected in a closed polythene bag, shaded from the direct sunlight at all times and worked with as quickly as possible.
Basic method for taking semi-ripe cuttings
Semi-ripe cuttings can be taken in the same way as softwood cuttings, where a cutting of 10 - 15cm (4 - 6in) long is cut just below the leaf node from a strong and healthy side shoot that preferably has no flowers or buds attached to it.
Carefully remove the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting and nip off the growing stem tip just above the leaf joint. You should be left with a cutting made up of 3 or 4 pairs of leaves.
The cutting is then prepared in the same way as softwood cuttings by dipping the base into a hormone rooting powder with a little fungicide and inserting it into a pot or container filled with cuttings compost. The pot should then be covered with a supported clear polythene cover and placed in a greenhouse, heated propagator or in a sunny spot on a windowsill. For more in depth details on how to proceed at this stage, please see our guide on softwood cuttings.
Carefully remove the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting and nip off the growing stem tip just above the leaf joint. You should be left with a cutting made up of 3 or 4 pairs of leaves.
The cutting is then prepared in the same way as softwood cuttings by dipping the base into a hormone rooting powder with a little fungicide and inserting it into a pot or container filled with cuttings compost. The pot should then be covered with a supported clear polythene cover and placed in a greenhouse, heated propagator or in a sunny spot on a windowsill. For more in depth details on how to proceed at this stage, please see our guide on softwood cuttings.
How to take a heel cutting
A popular method by which to propagate semi-ripe cuttings is by taking a heel cutting.
Semi-ripe cuttings take longer to root than softwood cuttings, and therefore to speed up the rooting process, a heel cutting is taken which is then "wounded", promoting faster rooting.
To take a heel cutting, pull a strong and healthy non-flowering side shoot in a downward direction so that a thin slither or heel of older wood or bark comes away also.
Wound the base of the cutting by making a shallow cut an inch from the bottom of the stem and stripping away the bark from this point to the base. Ensure that a sharp knife is used when doing so. Wounding the base of the cutting stimulates rooting in this region and new roots are produced much quicker.
At this stage, as with the basic method for taking semi-ripe cuttings, the process is continued in the same way as softwood cuttings (see above for more details).
Semi-ripe cuttings take longer to root than softwood cuttings, and therefore to speed up the rooting process, a heel cutting is taken which is then "wounded", promoting faster rooting.
To take a heel cutting, pull a strong and healthy non-flowering side shoot in a downward direction so that a thin slither or heel of older wood or bark comes away also.
Wound the base of the cutting by making a shallow cut an inch from the bottom of the stem and stripping away the bark from this point to the base. Ensure that a sharp knife is used when doing so. Wounding the base of the cutting stimulates rooting in this region and new roots are produced much quicker.
At this stage, as with the basic method for taking semi-ripe cuttings, the process is continued in the same way as softwood cuttings (see above for more details).
Cuttings aftercare
Once the cuttings have been inserted into their specific pot or container they should be watered, fed a little fungicide and placed in a greenhouse, cold frame, propagator, or even on a kitchen windowsill, in a shaded but warm position out of direct sunlight.
Ensure that the cuttings compost does not dry out but do not over-water as this could lead to disease.
Remove any fallen or wilting leaves.
Rooting will take place within 4 - 8 weeks depending on the temperature and the type of plant. Once rooting has occurred you can begin to add a general liquid feed to your new plants.
Before potting up the cuttings into individual containers or planting them outside, they will need to be hardened off gradually so that they acclimatise to the outside temperature. Only transplant the cuttings when the roots are well established and ensure that the utmost care is taken when moving the cuttings from one place to another.
Ensure that the cuttings compost does not dry out but do not over-water as this could lead to disease.
Remove any fallen or wilting leaves.
Rooting will take place within 4 - 8 weeks depending on the temperature and the type of plant. Once rooting has occurred you can begin to add a general liquid feed to your new plants.
Before potting up the cuttings into individual containers or planting them outside, they will need to be hardened off gradually so that they acclimatise to the outside temperature. Only transplant the cuttings when the roots are well established and ensure that the utmost care is taken when moving the cuttings from one place to another.
